Recently, a high-definition moving image is distributed in broadcasting. Also, along with development of a communication technology, a high-definition moving image is distributed in a wired/wireless communication network. In this distribution of a moving image, a real-time property is important in addition to reliability.
For example, there is the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 as a standard related to a wireless local area network (LAN). For example, in the IEEE 802.11, there is a mechanism of a retransmission request for recovery of a dropped packet, or a mechanism of a forward error correcting code in a physical layer (layer 1 (L1)) in order to improve reliability of communication (see, for example, Non-Patent Document 1).
However, there is no mechanism of an error correcting code in a MAC layer (layer 2 (L2)). Thus, in a case where a code error generated due to interference of a packet or the like is not corrected in an L1, an acknowledgement (ACK) is not transmitted back and the packet is retransmitted.
Also, with respect to a hierarchy of a layer 3 (L3) or higher, a technology of providing an error correction function in a higher layer which technology is called an application layer error correction (AL-FEC) is proposed. It is possible to recover from an error in a higher layer by using this technology. However, even if it is possible to recover from an error in a higher layer, it is not possible to recover from an error in an L2. Thus, it is not possible to transmit an ACK back to a communication partner. Thus, even in a case where it is possible to recover from an error in a higher layer, retransmission is performed by the communication partner.
Also, for example, a data transmission/reception system that determines a forward error correction capability on the basis of a transmission error rate of data and that assigns, to the transmitted data, a forward error correcting code corresponding to the forward error correction capability is proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
Also, for example, a technology of controlling an operation of a plurality of communication layers in a hierarchized communication system is proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2 and 3).